


More than ever

by little_purple_butterflies



Series: Moments in Time [2]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: A deeper look into a scene, Episode: s03e15 A Higher Power, Friendship, Gen, One Shot, bit of a character study, mention of suicide but only as part of the case, rating Teen for safety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-06 21:59:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8770957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_purple_butterflies/pseuds/little_purple_butterflies
Summary: Not every fact Reid knew was out of books.





	

**Author's Note:**

> As stated this is a deeper look into an existing scene (and a character) so I took the dialog from the episode. Basically it's my take on a character's thoughts.
> 
> This story is also posted on ff.net.
> 
> A big thanks to my dear friend Sarah for being my beta.

Reading the suicide note that was found at the latest victim’s home, Reid entered the room that the team used for the conference room, where Prentiss was standing in front of a close-up of another letter.

His gaze still on the piece of paper inside the file he was holding, the young agent passed her and stated, “They all have the same type of tone; it’s uncanny.”

“And you’re saying they all wrote these willingly?” Emily asked a bit skeptically.

Spencer put the file down on the table and turned around to face her.

“None of them are forced. But even here - ” he stepped over to the board at the wall where copies of all the letters were hanging, and, pointing to one of them, he continued while his fellow agent walked around him, “In Curtis Fackler’s, he-he never says goodbye. It’s like they’re not meant for anybody. Not for a wife, not for a kid.”

Looking at her colleague questioningly, Prentiss wondered, “Then who are they writing them to?”

Reid started to shake his head, and then stopped as a thought occurred to him. “They’re amends.” After a brief pause he added, “To themselves. And I…I believe they’re written as part of some programme.” The last word came out a bit hesitantly. 

This wasn’t really a topic Spencer wanted to elaborate on. But it looked like he had no choice because now it was the other agent’s turn to shake her head.

“Programme?”

She walked past the young man who turned around and explained, “Uh, the five stages of grief. In, uh, some self-help groups they ask you to write down an amends - ” Reid deliberately lowered his gaze to avoid Emily’s eyes so she couldn’t look into them and read what was there. He continued in a lower voice, “ - to yourself.”

But he knew it was a futile attempt because she knew him too well to not pick up on it. The young profiler was proven right when the tone of Emily’s voice changed and became softer. “Is that right?”

Spencer knew what was going on in his fellow agent’s head. Despite the non-profiling rule concerning the other team members, they were all doing it to some extent. And he was sure that Prentiss had caught on to the fact that he had done some research on that matter.

The agent hadn’t attended any self-help groups yet, but he was thinking about doing it because the cravings had been increasing ever since Ryan Philip had been killed right in front of him.

After a moment Reid forced himself to look her in the eye while she continued, “And all of these groups are anonymous, right?”

He simply nodded.

At that moment Detective Baleman entered the room and Spencer was glad not to be under Emily’s scrutiny any longer.

“Did you get anything from the letter?” the cop asked.

While Spencer got himself a cup of coffee, Prentiss turned to the detective and answered, “We think that all the victims attended self-help groups.” She walked over to the table and used the phone standing there to call Garcia.

“Speak and be heard by your goddess, mortal,” the technical analyst greeted.

Smiling Emily said, “Garcia, we need you to search for self-help groups in this area.”

Reid came back just as Penelope answered, “Well, just to give you an idea of what we’re dealing with here, just for alcoholic support groups for tonight, Monday, there are 91 around Pittsburgh proper.”

Having started to pace, the young agent nodded at that while the detective replied surprised, “You gotta be kidding me. That many?”

It was Spencer who answered, “They have different meetings all day and night. Different locations, different degrees of participations, of religiousness.”

Again Prentiss was studying him, but the genius chose to ignore it this time and focused on Garcia telling them, “Okay, I’ve sent you a schedule of meetings for the major grief staples: Alcohol, drugs, depression and loss, all within a two-mile radius of Shadyside. There are 11.”

While Emily walked over to the fax machine to pick up the list, Baleman asked the computer whiz, “Can we get a list of names?”

Before Garcia could answer, Reid said, “No.”

The detective turned around to him. “Why not?”

“They’re anonymous. That’s how he’s been getting away with it,” the young profiler explained, sounding as if he stated the obvious. To him, he just had.

Sighing, his fellow agent said, “Let’s gather the troops. We’re going to need all the people you can spare.”

The detective’s face made it clear that he wasn’t thrilled by that idea. “You got it.”

Spencer didn’t like it any better. 

He couldn’t stop thinking that all those people they would have to question were just like him; men and women with all kinds of problems who attended those meetings just because they were anonymous. They had found a place where no one would judge them and where they could talk about their problems and their addiction. And now he and his fellow agents were about to invade this place.

So Reid hoped, more than ever, that they would catch the UnSub before he would find another victim.


End file.
